GP Language and communication - Week 1

• Mens & Maatschappij
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Language and communication

Week 1 : The origins of language(s) and animal communication

This term, I expect to learn about ..

This week ..

.. you will learn about the origins of language

.. you will learn about animal communication

1. The origins of language

What do you know

about the origins of

language?

Different explanations ..

Video:  

Write down write down 3 things that you find interesting/that surprise you/you would like to know more about 

Different explanations

Chomsky + a lot of archeologists

90000 years ago: language started with 1 individual (Prometheus). From him, it spread to all other people. From them, a lot of different languages developed. 

Different explanations

Charles Darwin

Language started at 1 point and then developed through a lot of different modifications (evolution)

Different explanations

A lot of biologists

Language started 40 millions of years ago from gestures (apes) that developed slowly into spoken languages (humans)

Which explanation do you find the most likely / acceptable / believable ? 

1 individual > rest of the people > differences

1 starting point > mutations > differences

gestures (apes) > slow evolution > spoken languages

Option 3

40 million years ago: apes could make "grasp" gestures > same brain area as language in the human brain. 

Option 3

Apes in the wild make gestures that are "language like"

Option 3

But, then, around 7 million years ago: "bipedalism" > free hands > possibility of combining gestures > "mime" and 

using sounds

Option 3

Around 2 million years ago: fully bipedal > development + use of "tools" with both hands > simplified gestures and further development of speech

Option 3

90000 years ago: people spread over the world and adapted their language to the geography, culture and religion > different languages.

Option 3

Nowadays: many different languages

Reading & writing gives language a memory

(Re)new(ed) development of signs and symbols

Do animals have language(s)?

Quiz time!

True or false? Stand if the statement is true, sit down if the statement is false.

Animals :  geniuses?

Bees

The Waggle dance is used when the food source occurs further than 150m away from the hive, and describes both distance and direction. The length of each 'waggle' directly correlates to the distance of the food source, with longer waggles describing longer distances. The direction of the food source is shown by the orientation of the bee during this dance. The angle of the target flowers relative to the position of the sun at that current time is demonstrated by the relative to vertical angle the bee performs the dance at. 

After seeing this, do you think we can say that animals have language(s)?

YES

NO

The answer is.. no..

What are the differences between animal communication and "real" languages?

A "real" language..

Discrete infinity: 

Discrete/limited items (for example the alphabet) 

Different words 

Infinite number of sentences 

Displacement:

a. time (past, present, future)

b. space (other countries, space)

> abstract things!!

Which difference with apes?

Which difference with bees?

Joint attention:

Team work: read each others minds

Language is cooperative

Which difference with animals?